Ben Gibbard Honors Ichiro Suzuki in Song

Longtime Mariners slugger Ichiro Suzuki was traded to the Yankees yesterday, and Ben Gibbard — a hometown fan of Suzuki’s former MLB team who once performed with Death Cab at Seattle’s Safeco Field in 2010 — is here to pay homage. “Ichiro’s Song” was written “a few years ago” in honor of the beloved outfielder, but “today seems like the best day to let you all hear it,” he says.

Beyond its apropos arrival date, though, this tune packs hooks and an upbeat feel in line with the baseball spirit John Fogerty instilled in his mid-’80s tribute to the game, “Centerfield.” (A quick pivot from Gibbard’s last one-off from the vaults, covering of Stars’ “Set Yourself on Fire.”) Hear it below: